Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

Hi Jamie

Here in rural Spain, Cardoon's are a local vegetable that is used whenever it is in season.

Our neighbours gave us some, and we have tried to use it the way the locals do - string them, as they are a very fiborous vegetable, they then boil them and place on top of other steamed vegetables and meat, or boil and then cover them in local olive oil (cold pressed olive oil which is wonderful).

Eaten raw is not good.

Have to say, they are tasteless, and probably better covered in a sauce, as least then you have some flavour.

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

Hi Jaime,I know its a bit late but my dad used to grow cardoons and my mum used to steam it and then fry it off in a little butter and garlic, or make a cheese sauce and make it into a gratin. Though she just called that cheesey thistles.

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

I believe they used to lightly boil the stalks of the cardoon - it's supposed to be quite bland... but I've never tried it... Meddlers used to be used in jelly (weird little fruits that look like a cat's bottom) The fruit of the Crateagus monogyna (hawthorn) can be eaten - that would have been eaten thousands of years ago - the young leaves of our native Hesperis matronalis (sweet rocket) can be eaten in salads - very strong though.... green gages you don't hear of much anymore.... sloes and loganberries.... I can't think of anymore at the mo but there must be loads of stuff that we don't eat anymore that we could... i did eat a conker once... that was surprisingly nice really - not sure if they are edible in large amounts though...

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

The choko vine that hangs off the traditional Aussie paling fence is native to Central America, Mexico and the West Indies called chayote. Grows like crazy, very subtle flavour, best eaten when approx. 10cm (4 inches) or the larger ones chopped up added to stewing green apples and/or rhubarb. Absorbs the flavour of the other fruit. They are probably used in bought/pre-fab'd apple pies.

The fruit I want to eat and enjoy more of is the Cape Gooseberry. Fantastic beautiful taste. I can never have enough.

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

I was thinking of the choko too phiona!! Last time I bought some home my fiance said "what the f is that!?" I love it boiled, steamed or best of all roasted. It is very plain, but I love it like that. I find it quite refreshing.

I also remember when I was very young we had a huge wild rasberry bush in the front yard. We thought nothing of it back then, but now when I think about it I would love one in our yard now. They were so delicious and sweet. Im sure they are a rarity now with the ever expanding building industry.

Another thing I love is the bush lemon. I dont know anyone that sells them and its a shame as they are just lovely. The 3 trees that were growing at my parents have now died which Im pretty mad about! I think they were just too old, or were lacking in attention. They were planted with the house which is almost 100 years old. We now have to stop on the way to pick them from trees on the side of the road in the neighbouring properties.

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

yes, that' s right my friend!! in greek the cardoon is called "agkinara"! and my grandma also has some very good recipes with that!I' ll post them in a few days!cheers!

dukegus wrote:

Cardoon here in greece is called something like wild artichoke or something.

Other "forgotten" vegetables that I have tasted are the wild versions of parsley, celery, radish, fennel and that kind of stuff. I have tried a vegetable/herbal pie from my granny with these wild veg and they taste amazing and I could say much better.

But they are wild so I don't no if you can plant and cultivate them. I will ask my granny today and she would surely now some stuff that people don't eat anymore!

Re: Vegetables and fruits that we have forgotten about....

there is an herb which grows inthe fields which tastes of vinegar, and farmers ate it when they were faraway from home harvesting frumento or erba medica in summer, it was an antidoto to thirst, one other vinegar tasting herb grew in the holes of pebbles walls around my nonna's house. We ate that and after chewing we spit it it was our dissetante while playing hide and seek, I still remember the taste. mmmmmmmmmmChewing gum wa made with grains of "frumento", we took the spighe, crushed them in the hand and then blew away the ****, the grains chewed after a while became our "gome merecane", we were very proud of our self-sufficiency

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